1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a supporting mechanism for microscopes which examine the surfaces of finished areas such as bonded parts of, for example, a semiconductor device.
2. Prior Art
In bonding machines, microscopes are used to check the bonding conditions of semiconductor devices, etc. Usually, the microscope is mounted to the bonding machine via a microscope supporting mechanism that is attached to a fixed or immovable part of the bonding machine.
One example of a microscope supporting mechanism is described in the Japanese Patent Application Publication ("Kokoku") No. 2-58775. In this prior art, the microscope is moved by hand in the directions parallel and vertical relative to the direction the semiconductor devices are fed out.
In the microscope supporting mechanism of this prior art, however, it is sometimes necessary to set the microscope aside from the area where the bonding is performed. Such a movement of the microscope is necessary because it can be a hindrance when the semiconductor devices are examined visually and when parts of the bonding machine near the bonding area are adjusted. In view of such a necessity, in the above-described prior art, the entire microscope supporting mechanism is arranged so as to be rotated about a supporting shaft. However, since the microscope supporting mechanism is simply rotated about the supporting shaft when the microscope is moved from the bonding area, the microscope itself is also rotated by the same angle of the rotation the supporting mechanism makes. This results in that the posture of the microscope or the direction the microscope faces is changed.
Meanwhile, in order to secure a wide space near the bonding area, it is necessary to rotate the supporting mechanism approximately 90 degrees. However, if the parts of the bonding machine are near the microscope supporting mechanism, the microscope touches those parts when it is rotated. Thus, the rotation of the microscope supporting mechanism is limited. For this reason, it is necessary to loosen a knob and then rotate the microscope supporting mechanism while adjusting the posture of the microscope. Therefore, the microscope cannot be quickly moved away from the bonding area where the bonding and observation of bonding conditions are performed.